7
Silas
By the timeSilas filedthe transfer request, Torres was already gone for the weekend. He sealed the forms inside of an envelope and dropped it in her mailbox. The request would be filed Monday, and once it was entered into the database, Elijah wouldn’t be his responsibility anymore. From there, Silas could resume work with omegas whose very existence didn’t threaten to derail his career.
That night, Silas couldn’t shake the thought of what Elijah had said at the cafe.
I want to be a lover. A husband. A father. Do you think we can make that happen?
Elijah, in a pair of Silas’ boxers, stretched out across his bed. Bedroom eyes. A cocky smirk.
Elijah, pressed against the shower wall, gasping and moaning as Silas pressed against him and kissed the back of his neck.
Elijah, eyes soft and skin radiant, t-shirt riding up over the slight bulge of his stomach as Silas’ child grew inside of him.
Silas knotted twice imagining it, seed spilling down his hand as he released.
Saturday morning came, and Silas was awoken from a deep, dreamless sleep by a phone call. Annoyed, he groped for his cellphone and cradled it against his ear.
“Hello?”
“Counselor Rutledge?” It was work. Silas squeezed his eyes shut and rolled over onto his back. He had the weekend off—why was working calling?
“Speaking.”
“It’s Counselor Truman on the phone. I’m sorry to bother you. I know it’s early, and today is your day off, but there’s been a development with the omega under your care and I thought you should know about it. None of us wanted to interfere, since we know you’re still establishing trust with him.”
A development? Silas opened his eyes and sat up. The sudden movement made his head spin, and he blinked rapidly to try to dispel some of his dizziness. “What’s happening?”
“This morning, Elijah asked if he could participate in group therapy with the other omegas.”
“What?” Silas rubbed the sleep out of the corners of his eyes. With urgency, he rose from the bed and paced from the bedroom to the bathroom. “Is he saying why?”
“No. I didn’t ask. I know that pushing stubborn omegas can sometimes only make them more stubborn, so I didn’t want to push for any more information without your consent. I’m not sure what your treatment plan is.”
Not even Silas was sure what his treatment plan was. Elijah was shockingly confident, but clung to outdated views that only served to limit him. At this point, Silas was chasing leads and forming a plan as he went.
“Don’t ask him about the change of mind. If he volunteers information, then let me know. If you have space, allow him into group. Don’t pressure him to speak if he doesn’t want to. I’m going to be there within the hour, and I’ll take over from there.”
“You’re coming in?” Truman sounded surprised. “Did Torres authorize the overtime?”
“I’m not charging overtime,” Silas said. He ran the water in the tub and adjusted the heat. “Caring for Elijah is my job. If there’s a development, I’m going in to see if we can’t leverage it. Getting him better is what’s important—not what I’m paid for it.”
“We’ll see you soon, then. Group is happening in room 142.”
“See you.” Silas terminated the call and set his phone on the tank of the toilet. Without wasting any more time, he hopped in the shower and cleaned himself up. The scent of stale sex clung to his skin from the heated night he’d spent with fantasies of Elijah. Until the memories were scrubbed away, there was no way he could face Elijah in person.
Seeing him face to face was hard enough without a reminder of the way Silas had spent his night.
Once he was washed and dressed, Silas left his condo and headed for Stonecrest directly. Room 142’s door was left ajar, and he slipped through it right as the session drew to a close. Amongst the gathered omegas sat Elijah. As Silas entered, Elijah lifted his gaze and flashed Silas a subdued smile.
There was something different about him this morning, and Silas couldn’t help but think it had something to do with the conversation they’d had while out yesterday. Elijah had opened up to him. Now, he was opening up to the rest of the world as well.
“We’ll be meeting back at the same time next week on Saturday and Sunday morning. Thanks for attending this morning. For those interested, there will be a movie viewing in room 146 taking us up until lunch.”
The group broke apart. Silas planted himself against the door an arm’s length away from the frame, watching a set point in the distance so as long to startle any of the more vulnerable omegas. He wasn’t alone for long.
“Silas,” Elijah said. He stepped into Silas’ line of view, still smiling. “Hi. I didn’t think you worked here on weekends.”
